Game stick and method of manipulating it

ABSTRACT

A game stick having an off-center handle member with slightly concave opposing surfaces and exhibiting an axial mass unbalance accomplished by the off-center location of the handle member. The stick is engaged with the outside surface of one&#39;&#39;s thumb and the thumb is moved in a closed looping trajectory to maintain the engagement without actually grasping the stick between one&#39;&#39;s fingers.

United States Patent Villanueva [541 GAME STICK AND METHOD OFMANIPULATING n" [72] Inventor: Antonio R. Villanueva, Oak Park, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Holvy Wren, St. Clair Shores, Mich. a

part interest [22] Filed: Aug. 24, 1970 211 App]. No.: 66,286

[52] US. Cl. ..273/1 R, 46/47, 272/8 R, 272/67, 273/109 [51] Int. Cl...A63f 9/00 [58] Field of Search ..273/1 R, 106 R, 109; 46/47; 272/8 R,67

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,364,137 12/1944 Gibb..273/l06 R 1 July 4, 1972 3,124,356 3/1964 Chordas ..273/l06 R X3,069,804 12/1962 Cirafesi 3,528,659 9/1970 Benham 3,443,809 5/1969Montanez..

2,377,498 6/1945 Jacke ..273/l06 R Primary Examiner-Richard C. PinkhamAssistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-McGlynn, Reising, Milton &Ethington [57] ABSTRACT A game stick having an off-center handle memberwith slightly concave opposing surfaces and exhibiting an axial massunbalance accomplished by the off-center location of the handle member.The stick is engaged with the outside surface of ones thumb and thethumb is moved in a closed looping trajectory to maintain the engagementwithout actually grasping the stick between ones fingers.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GAME STICK AND METHOD OF MANIPULATING ITThis invention relates to game sticks and particularly to a massunbalanced game stick which may be manipulated in such a fashion as toperform a dynamic balancing operation which appears to defy gravity.

The game stick which is used in performing the amusing and skillfuloperation described herein is characterized as a straight elongatedmember of such size and weight as to per mit easy handling by a child.The stick is constructed in accordance with the present invention toexhibit an axial mass unbalance about a handle region between the endsof the stick. The handle region is adapted to be engaged by ones hand inthe operation of the game stick so as to permit the stick to bedynamically balanced and maintained in engagement with the hand bymovement of the stick in such a fashion as to be inertially balanced inapparent defiance of the law of gravity.

In particular, the method of operation of the stick involves placing theoutside surface of ones thumb against the handle region with the heavyend of the stick lower than the light end. The stick is then moved backand forth across ones body in a closed looping path with the stickgenerally leading the thumb so as to be inertially balanced andmaintained in engagement with the thumb at all times.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention involves an axiallyoff-centered handle member secured to axially oppositely extending rods,each of which may have an object such as a block or semi-sphericalmember attached to the end thereof. The portions of the stick onopposite sides of the handle member are also preferably of differentcolors and the handle member itself is constructed with concave paralleland opposite faces to permit engagement the handle region by eitherthumb and to permit the stick to be passed from one person to the nextor from one hand to the other of the same person.

The various features of the subject game stick and the method ofoperating the game stick will be made more apparent in the followingspecification which describes a specific embodiments of the game stickand the method of operating the game stick.

This specification is to be taken with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a sequential illustration of the trajectory described by thestick in use;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a stick employing the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the stick of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along a line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a broken plan view of another embodiment of the invention;and,

FIG. 6 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a game stick 10 ofstraight elongated configuration, such stick being approximately betweenand 36 inches long and weighing between about 2 and 6 ounces so as to bereadily handled by a child of modest physical ability. The stick 10 ispreferably constructed of plastic, wood or other lightweight durablematerial.

Stick 10 is shown to comprise a generally central member 12 of generallyfiat rectangular configuration and having opposite concave faces 14 and16 defining a handle region which is to be engaged by ones hand inaccordance with a method of operation to be described. Handle member 12is preferably slightly off-center with respect to the opposite ends ofthe stick 10 so as to produce an axial mass unbalance wherein the upperend of the stick 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is heavier than thelower end of the stick l0, taken about the center of the handle member12. Mass unbalance may also be accomplished by placing the handle memberin an exact central position and weighting one end of the stick 10either by the use of dissimilar materials for the two ends or by meansof dissimilar size components or by means of an add-on weight.

Handle member 12 has formed in the upper end surface thereof a pair ofaxially extending symmetrically spaced holes l7 and 19 for receiving apair of cylindrical and elongated rods 18 and 20. The other end ofhandle member 12 has a similar set of holes for receiving rods 22 and24. Rods l8 and 20 form a first parallel and axially extending pairwhile rods 22 and 24 form a second parallel and axially extending pair.Rods l8 and 22 are coaxial whereas rods 20 and 24 are coaxial. The rods18, 20, 22, and 24 are inserted into the holes formed in the endsurfaces of the handle member 12 and preferably bonded in position. In a36 inch stick, rods 18 and 20 are on the order of 13 inches in lengthwhereas rods 22 and 24 are on the order of 18 inches in length so as toproduce the aforementioned axial mass unbalance. The remainder of theoverall length is accounted for by the handle member 12.

Rods l8 and 20 are connected together at the axial extremity thereof bymeans of a semispherical object 26. Similarly, rods 22 and 24 areconnected together by means of a semispherical object 28. The object 26and 28 may be provided with suitable holes to receive the ends of therods. The objects 26 and 28 may take any desired shape so to representvarious elements. FIGS. 1 through 4 show the objects to be semisphericalwhereas FIGS. 5 and 6 show objects 26 and 28' to be rectangular blocks.The objects 26 and 28 are identified with prime numbers in FIGS. 5 and 6to show the distinction in appearance yet similarity in function to theobjects 26 and 28 of FIGS. 1 through 4.

To add additional weight to the stick l0, laterally extending holes maybe drilled in the member 12 at positions which are spaced about thecenterline of the [handle member 12 to receive steel dowels 30 and 32.These dowels may be eliminated in favor of the use of added weight inthe rods 18, 20, 22 and 24 or in the objects 26 and 28.

The light and heavy sides of the stick 10 are preferably identified withsuitably indicia, such as different colors as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.For example, the light end of the stick 10 as defined by rods 18 and 20may be red whereas the heavy end of the stick 10 as defined by rods 22and 24 may be blue. Any other suitable combination of colors or otherindicia, such as stripes, may be used.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a method of dynamically balancing the gamestick 10 will be disclosed in detail. FIG. I shows a looping closed path34 which defines the path of the handle member 12 of the game stick 10when moved back and forth across ones body in accordance with thepreferred method of operating the stick. To carry out the method, thestick 10 is placed in engagement with the outside surface of ones thumb,as shown in FIG. 1, with the heavy side of the stick l0 defined by rods22 and 24 being below and slightly ahead of the light Side of the stickl0 defined by rods 18 and 20. Once the stick 10 has been placed with theoutside surface of the thumb against one of the concave surfaces 1-4 or16 of the stick 10 with the heavy end of the stick below and leading thelight end of the stick, the thumb is moved from right to left along theloop 34 shown in FIG. 1. The mass of the stick 10 produces an inertialforce as the stick 10 is accelerated across the body tending to maintainit in engagement with the thumb. As the stick 10 and the thumb proceedtoward the left-hand side of the looping path 34, the hand with whichthe stick 10 is engaged is turned in a circular fashion such that thethumb is brought into an orientation pointing substantially toward thebody rather than away from the body as it was originally oriented. Thisaccelerates the stick 10' in a circular trajectory and maintains thereaction force of the stick 10 in a direction toward the thumb so as tomaintain the stick always in engagement with the thumb and to preventthe stick from falling from the thumb under the force of gravity. Thiscircular rotation reverses the direction of movement of the thumb andthe stick 10 and permits the stick to be accelerated back from left toright along the lower portion of the looping path 34. As the stickreaches the right-hand side of the body from which it originally came,the thumb is gradually rotated from an orien tation point toward thebody to an orientation pointing away from the body and used to brake thestick 10 to a stop. The stopping point occurs at 36 as shown in FIG. 1.Actually, a

stopping point may also be accomplished on the left-hand side of theloop 34 without dropping the stick from engagement with the thumb. Atthis point the looping path 34 is simply followed again for as manytimes as the operator can maintain the stick in engagement with thethumb. It has been found in practice that several hundred cycles can beaccomplished by a child of considerable skill.

To become acquainted with the operation of the stick 10, it is suggestedthat the operator be seated in a chair allowing the heavy end of thestick 10 to rest upon the floor. The thumb is then engaged with thestick 10 by placing it into one of the recessed concave surfaces 14 and16. Allowing the lower end of the stick 10 to remain on the floor at apivot point, the thumb and stick are then moved through the trajectoryor path 34 shown in FIG. 1 until the operator has become accustomed tothe movement. After this brief practice, it has been found that theaverage operator can maintain the stick in engagement with the thumb bymoving it through the looping path 34 with the stick generally leadingthe thumb except, of course, during the last portion of the loop 34wherein the thumb must be used to brake the stick to a stop with verylittle time and practice.

Many other games, including movements which involve passing the stick toone person to the other or from one hand to the other, can be worked outand many of such games will be apparent to those who have used the stick10 for some time. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the stick 10is not limited to use in the manner described above but that such anoperation is suggested as the preferred and one of the most enjoyablemethods of operating the stick 10. The foregoing description is not tobe construed in a limiting sense but is to be understood as beingillustrative in character.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A game stick for performing an amusing and skillful dynamic balancingoperation comprising: means defining a straight elongated stick of suchsize and weight as to be readily handled by a child, and an elongatedrectangular member defining an approximately central handle region uponsaid stick for engagement with one's hand, the handle member havingopposite faces for engagement with ones hand, the

faces being slightly concave, the stick including means for producing amass unbalance about the handle region to permit the stick to bedynamically balanced by manual engagement of the handle region andmovement of the stick in such a manner as to inertially maintain suchengagement.

2. The game stick defined in claim 1 wherein the handle member is offcenter with respect to the stick to accomplish said mass unbalance.

3. The game stick as defined in claim 1 wherein the handle member isprovided with axially spaced weights.

4. The game stick as defined in claim 1 wherein the means defining thestick includes at least two parallel and coaxial rods contiguous withthe handle member.

5. The game stick as defined in claim 1 wherein the means defining thestick includes at least four straight rods secured to the handle memberin parallel pairs, each pair being coaxial with the other.

6. The game stick defined in claim 1 including similar objects discretefrom the stick and disposed at each end of the stick.

7. The game stick defined in claim 6 wherein the objects aresemi-spherical.

8. The game stick defined in claim 1 wherein the portions of the stickon opposite sides of the handle region are of different colors.

9. The game stick defined in claim 8 wherein the handle re gion isdefined by a rectangular member having laterally opposite concave faces,axially extending holes in the ends of the member, rods forming thestick disposed in the holes, the rods being of dissimilar length so asto provide the mass unbalance of the stick, and similar objects disposedon the opposite ends of the rods.

10. A method of performing a dynamic balancing operation using anaxially mass unbalanced game stick having a handle region generallycentrally thereof comprising the steps of: placing the outside surfaceof the thumb against the handle region with the heavy end of the sticklower than the light end, and moving the thumb across ones body to movethe stick through a closed looping path wherein the stick generallyleads the thumb and is maintained in engagement therewith by inertialforces generated by the movement.

1. A game stick for performing an amusing and skillful dynamic balancingoperation comprising: means defining a straight elongated stick of suchsize and weight as to be readily handled by a child, and an elongatedrectangular member defining an approximately central handle region uponsaid stick for engagement with one''s hand, the handle member havingopposite faces for engagement with one''s hand, the faces being slightlyconcave, the stick including means for producing a mass unbalance aboutthe handle region to permit the stick to be dynamically balanced Bymanual engagement of the handle region and movement of the stick in sucha manner as to inertially maintain such engagement.
 2. The game stickdefined in claim 1 wherein the handle member is off center with respectto the stick to accomplish said mass unbalance.
 3. The game stick asdefined in claim 1 wherein the handle member is provided with axiallyspaced weights.
 4. The game stick as defined in claim 1 wherein themeans defining the stick includes at least two parallel and coaxial rodscontiguous with the handle member.
 5. The game stick as defined in claim1 wherein the means defining the stick includes at least four straightrods secured to the handle member in parallel pairs, each pair beingcoaxial with the other.
 6. The game stick defined in claim 1 includingsimilar objects discrete from the stick and disposed at each end of thestick.
 7. The game stick defined in claim 6 wherein the objects aresemi-spherical.
 8. The game stick defined in claim 1 wherein theportions of the stick on opposite sides of the handle region are ofdifferent colors.
 9. The game stick defined in claim 8 wherein thehandle region is defined by a rectangular member having laterallyopposite concave faces, axially extending holes in the ends of themember, rods forming the stick disposed in the holes, the rods being ofdissimilar length so as to provide the mass unbalance of the stick, andsimilar objects disposed on the opposite ends of the rods.
 10. A methodof performing a dynamic balancing operation using an axially massunbalanced game stick having a handle region generally centrally thereofcomprising the steps of: placing the outside surface of the thumbagainst the handle region with the heavy end of the stick lower than thelight end, and moving the thumb across one''s body to move the stickthrough a closed looping path wherein the stick generally leads thethumb and is maintained in engagement therewith by inertial forcesgenerated by the movement.